Social Science Review
Vol. 40 No. 2 (2023)
ISSN: 1562-269X
Social Science Review
Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Dhaka
WAS THERE A WAY OUT?: NEXUS AMONG DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, STRESSORS, AND RESOURCES DURING COVID-19 AMONG THE URBAN MIDDLE-CLASS FAMILIES IN BANGLADESH
Social Science Review
Volume 40, Number 2, 2023
DOI:
Abstract
This article examines how different stressors created and aggravated by COVID-19 put urban middle-class families in a situation that leads to domestic violence, particularly in the unavailability of resources to deal with the stressors. A mixed-method approach with an online questionnaire survey, in-depth interviews, and key informant interviews has been applied for a detailed understanding of the experiences of pandemic-induced stressors and the risk of domestic violence. Based on the Exosystem Factor Theory, the findings resonate that the pandemic created several stressors in urban middle-class families, including fear and anxiety, financial insecurity, gender role stress, disturbed interpersonal relationships, and disrupted support systems. This study further demonstrates that these stressors lead to domestic violence, where external and internal resources, such as alternative financial support, personal traits, womenâs agency, rehabilitation support, and government and community support, do not appear to mediate the stressors.
Keywords:
COVID-19, Urban Middle-Class, Lockdown, Domestic Violence, Stressors, Resources